'Pacific Rim 2' Removed From Universal's Schedule

For those of you patiently waiting for that Pacific Rim sequel, you're going to be waiting an awfully long time. Universal Pictures has just removed the film entirely from its production calendar, and isn't giving any indication when the movie could see the light of day.

Pacific Rim 2 has never been a sure thing, but fans were excited recently when pre-production actually began on the film earlier this month with a planned release date of August 2017. Those plans were quickly dashed when the production was halted, likely due to budgetary concerns. Director Guillermo del Toro then reassured fans, saying that even though the production was being pushed back, he was still confident that the movie would be made. But now Universal has taken the film off of their production slate entirely, and that's a tough pill to swallow.

To Universal's credit, they aren't outright saying another Pacific Rim is impossible; they're claiming they just need more time to make a better movie. Sounds a little fishy to us, but here's their official statement so you can draw your own conclusions:

"Legendary's Pacific Rim2, originally scheduled for release on August 4, 2017, will be redated at a later time. The filmmakers, Legendary and Universal Pictures are committed to having Pacific Rim2, the sequel to 2013's Pacific Rim, which generated more $411 million at the global box office, be the vanguard, fully-immersive experience that the franchise deserves. To this end, the decision was made to delay the production and release of Pacific Rim 2 so that the creative team can continue in its efforts to exceed the amazing experience of the first film. Pacific Rim 2 is the follow-up to Guillermo del Toro's 2013 epic action-adventure, with a script penned by del Toro, Jon Spaihts (Passengers, Prometheus) and Travis Beacham. Universal Pictures will release the film worldwide in 3D and IMAX."

We admit, the quote doesn't sound like it's all doom and gloom for Pacific Rim 2, but we're not holding our breath. Until the movie starts filming and we have a solid release date, the Kaiju are just going to continue wreaking havoc unchecked. Do you really want that on your conscience, Universal.